A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Starting from the Village Chief

Chapter 669: Sinner’s Edict

It was the fifth watch of the night.

The pitch-black night had not yet faded.
Li Yi has been awakened by Song Yi, and lights have already been lit in the province under the imperial city gates.

Li Yi yawned, feeling that he still hadn't had enough sleep.

But it's time to prepare for court.

The life of a court official was tough. Every day, they had to get up before dawn, rush to the city gates to queue, and wait for the curfew to end so the city gates could open, and then have their identities verified to enter the palace.

Officials who lived far from the palace sometimes had to travel ten miles, which was even more difficult when it was windy or rainy.

Fortunately, not all officials in the capital were required to attend court. Except for the first and fifteenth of each lunar month, officials of the ninth rank and above were required to attend court. On ordinary days, only officials of the fifth rank and above, as well as officials such as the Attendant, Assistant Minister, Censor, and Doctor of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, were required to attend court every day.

Li Yi is now concurrently serving as Minister of Works and Attendant-in-Ordinary.
Naturally, one must attend the morning court session.

"The morning court session will be held in the Xiande Hall of the East Palace today, my lord, you cannot be late," Song Yi reminded him.

Li Yi inquired about the time indicated by the water clock.

Well, it's only 3 a.m.

Even in summer, this is still too early.

Several soldiers helped Li Yi change his clothes, while Song Yi kept nagging on the side. Although today was the fifth day of the sixth lunar month, it wasn't the first or fifteenth day of the lunar month, nor was it one of the major court assemblies of the year.
But after all, a major palace coup had occurred.

The King of Qin has not yet officially become the Crown Prince, but he is already handling state affairs as the King of Qin Regent.

The emperor was disturbed and needed to recuperate in the Taiji Palace.

Therefore, the morning court session was moved to the Xiande Hall of the Eastern Palace and presided over by the Prince of Qin, who was in charge of the state.

Today is the first time the King of Qin has presided over the morning court session.
All civil and military officials in the capital were required to attend the court assembly.

This is the King of Qin's official debut.

"It seems being a government official in the capital isn't easy."

It is said that Zhou Bapi imitated a rooster's crow in the middle of the night to trick his farmhands into going to work in the fields early. But officials in the capital city also get up earlier than the roosters.

I have to get up at three in the morning.

The vast palace was completely silent.

Get up at 3 AM.

Enter the palace at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM).

When a subject meets with his ruler, it is called court; when the ruler meets with his subject, it is called a gathering.

The Tang Dynasty held three court sessions: the Outer Court, the Middle Court, and the Inner Court, each held in a different palace.

The Chengtian Gate and the East and West Halls of Taiji Palace form the Outer Court, where grand ceremonies are held and the people are consulted. The Taiji Hall forms the Middle Court, and the Liangyi Hall forms the Inner Court.

Today's event is only for the inner court, with only regular officials participating, and it is being held in the Liangyi Hall.

But the current situation,
Since Li Yuan was unable to hold court and Li Shimin was overseeing the country, it was certainly impossible for the emperor to meet with the officials at this time.

Taiji Palace
This is now Li Yuan's prison, which also holds the deposed Crown Prince Jiancheng and the commoner Yuanji.

After Li Shimin takes over as the Crown Prince, he will not go to Taiji Palace for the time being.

The sky was dotted with stars.

Li Yi waited until dawn, when the imperial city gates opened, and was finally able to leave the imperial city and head towards the East Palace.

It was already broad daylight.

Numerous officials waited in front of the East Palace gate.

There were no waiting rooms prepared for court officials; regardless of rank, officials could only wait in the open.

In Chang'an, there are many officials of the ninth rank or above. Today is special, as even honorary officials and meritorious officials without real positions have come by order.

Even the so-called two queens, namely the Duke of Jie and the Duke of Xi of the Northern Zhou and Sui dynasties, came.

When Li Yi arrived at the palace gate under the protection of his guards...
Immediately, countless eyes turned to them.

This is currently the most sought-after figure to have helped establish the new regime.

Only one day has passed since the incident.
However, most of the nobles and officials in Chang'an already knew that the King of Qin had bestowed all the gold, silver and utensils of the Qi Kingdom upon Li Yi yesterday.

It is said that dozens of carts of gold and silver were hauled away, and there were hundreds of bushels of black pepper alone.

A pound of black pepper is worth at least an ounce of gold, and an ounce of black pepper can even be exchanged for a sheep.

It is said that there are thousands of gold and silver artifacts.

That's not all.
On the fourth day of the sixth lunar month, the King of Qin rewarded twenty-four meritorious officials, dividing them into five categories. Li Yi was placed in the first category and received twelve thousand bolts of silk.

Ten thousand bolts of silk is a lot, but it's nothing to many high-ranking officials and nobles. However, the honor of being the first-class official is different; it's something that no amount of money can buy.

Before the fourth day of the sixth lunar month,

The most favored and powerful person in the court was Pei Ji, the Minister of Works, the Left Minister of Works, and the Duke of Wei.

But starting today...
This is Li Yi, the Prince of Dai, Minister of Works, and Attendant-in-Ordinary.

And he is so young, even younger than the emperor.

A new emperor brings a new court.

In front of the palace gates that were originally supported,

The officials all automatically made way for him.

Cheng Yaojin arrived with several military generals, including Niu Jinda and Li Junxian, and greeted the Prince of Dai with a greeting: "Good morning."

"Is Duke Su on duty today?"

Old Cheng nodded with a smile, "Yes, we need to be extra vigilant during today's court assembly."

Are there enough staff?

"Our Qin Prince's Mansion has 30,000 troops under its six guards, and although only a portion of them have reached Chang'an, it is still sufficient." Old Cheng pointed to the south gate of the East Palace, "Two thousand elite troops have been stationed at the left and right Changlin gates."

"By the way, it's not called Zuo You Chang Lin Men anymore. The Regent just changed the name. It's now called Chong Guang or Xuan Ming Men."

The south gate of the East Palace was called Hongli or Jiafu Gate during the Sui Dynasty.

Later it was called the Left and Right Changlin Gates. When it was first built, it was to privately recruit more than 2,000 brave and valiant young men from all directions and to garrison the Left and Right Changlin Gates, known as the Changlin Soldiers.

This was a major obstacle to their previous plans. Li Yi first used the incident of three hundred Youzhou cavalrymen, then detonated three hundred sets of armor that were secretly sent to Yang Wengan, ultimately causing the emperor to abolish this Changlin Army.

And now,
Li Shimin became the crown prince.
Naturally, the defenses of the Eastern Palace also needed to be strengthened.

Yuchi Gong, as the Left Guard Commander of the Crown Prince, and Cheng Yaojin, as the Right Guard Commander of the Crown Prince, were responsible for commanding these two thousand elite troops. Hou Junji and Zhang Gongjin served as the Deputy Commanders of the Left and Right Guards, assisting in the command.

These two thousand elite troops are the core fighting force of the Qin Prince's left and right guards, the Xuanjia Army.

"Maintain order. Arrange the officials' carriages, horses, and entourages properly. Don't let things get chaotic," Li Yi said.

This was the first time that all the officials in the capital had come to the Eastern Palace for a court assembly.

Cheng Yaojin agreed.

He was now beaming and full of energy. He had previously served under the King of Qin and made numerous military achievements. Although he had been granted the titles of Grand Pillar of State and Duke of Su, his official rank was not high. He was initially the Left Third Commander of the King of Qin's Palace, a mere fourth-rank official.

Last year in Hedong, he was promoted to chief steward and entered the third rank.

But the Crown Prince is pressing him relentlessly. If the Prince of Qin were to enfeoff the southern regions, then these direct subordinate generals of the Prince of Qin's mansion would have to go to the remote border states to serve as Sima or Zhenjiang.

And now,
The King of Qin ascended the throne.

He was immediately promoted to Right Martial General and concurrently appointed Right Guard Commander of the Crown Prince. He had become a true new favorite in the court.

All of this has come at a great cost, and of course we must do everything in our power to protect it.

In front of the palace gate,
Officials who had come from the Qin Prince's mansion all came to pay their respects in a very warm and friendly manner.

The officials from the former Crown Prince's faction, though they had been pardoned by imperial decree, remained huddled in a corner, too afraid to approach, each still feeling uneasy.

Most of the other officials, however, wanted to get closer to this Minister of Works.

at last,

The palace gates slowly opened, and Li Yi was finally free.

Today's ceremony was conducted entirely according to the standards of the New Year's Day assembly, and the rituals were extremely solemn.

In Xiande Hall,

A screen, a step mat, an incense burner, and an incense table were set up, and ceremonial guards were arranged according to the time of day.
The Grand Censor, Duke of Hua, Huangfu Wuyi, led his subordinates and urged all officials to get to their posts.

The censor guided the officials to take their places in the palace courtyard according to their ranks.

Because there are too many officials

Therefore, the vast majority of middle and lower-ranking officials could only stand outside the hall and gaze at it from afar.

Civil servants on the left and military officers on the right, standing in their respective classes.

At the very front were the Duke of Jie and the Duke of Xi, who were the two queens.

Then came the prime minister.

Following that are the first-rank class, the second-rank class, the third-rank class, and so on, with clear distinctions in rank. Rank is the first rank, then ranks are determined by noble title, and if they are the same, then honorary rank is considered. Finally, age and surname are considered, with the imperial surname ranking first.

This ranking system is extremely important and must not be confused in the slightest.

Li Yi's position was quite close to the front.
Apart from the two queens who were merely decorative figures, the six prime ministers were at the very front.

The prime minister was ranked before all the princes and dukes, which was also Li Shimin's instruction.

Although the rank of prime minister is not high, his position and power are significant.

Of the six prime ministers, Li Yi ranked first.

As a Chamberlain, he held the highest rank of Minister of Works, a first-grade official. Among the six chancellors, only Pei Ji also held the title of Minister of Works. However, Li Yi was still the Prince of Dai, while Pei Ji was merely the Duke of Wei.

Therefore, Pei Ji could only be ranked after Li Yi.

In the past, court assemblies

During regular court sessions, Pei Ji always stood at the very front, and today he subconsciously moved to the front as well.

Censor Quan Wanji reminded him, "Left Minister, your seat is over here, that's where Minister Li sits."

Quan Wanji's voice wasn't loud, but it sounded incredibly harsh to Pei Ji.

At this time,

Another censor, Zhang Yung-gu, happened to bring Li Yi with him.

Li Yi stood to the side, a smile on his face.

Pei Ji's old face flushed red.

"Prime Minister Pei," Quan Wanji called out again. By this time, many eyes in the hall had turned toward them, mostly those of the purple-robed ministers standing at the front.

Pei Ji felt a tightness in his chest and his head was spinning.

Quan Wanji urged again, "Lord Pei, don't waste time and miss the morning court session."

"Hmph." Pei Ji snorted coldly and stepped aside.

Li Yi then calmly stepped forward.

Although they were only one position apart.
However, their social statuses were vastly different, and at this moment, Pei Ji deeply understood the saying, "A new emperor brings a new court."

In the hall,

There were quite a few new faces.

All officials took their places.

Regent Li Shimin ascended the throne.

The officials bowed twice as the ceremony was performed and the chanting of praises was sung.

From the moment one enters the palace gates and has their registration and credentials verified, to the conclusion of the morning court ceremony...
It took about half an hour.

It's finally over.

The emperor granted him a seat.

At least everyone doesn't have to stand all the time anymore, otherwise some of the old guys really wouldn't be able to stand.

After the purple-robed ministers were seated in the hall, it was time for them to present their proposals and submit their petitions.

Generally, the morning court session is merely a ceremonial affair, where imperial edicts are proclaimed and decrees are issued, but there is rarely any specific discussion of political affairs.

But today,
This is not the usual situation.

The interpreter was ordered to read the imperial edict aloud.

The first decree was to depose Crown Prince Jiancheng and reduce him to commoner status; the second decree was to depose Prince Qi, Yuanji, and reduce him to commoner status; the third decree was to grant a general amnesty.

The fourth option was to establish the King of Qin as the Crown Prince.

After four imperial edicts were proclaimed in succession,

The interpreter then presented another imperial edict.

The Emperor issued an edict of self-reproach.

"My failure to recognize talent led to a warning from Heaven: Venus pierced the sun, causing a tragic upheaval at the palace gates. Jiancheng and Yuanji plotted rebellion, nearly overthrowing the dynasty..."

The emperor attributed the palace coup to his own poor judgment in choosing officials, claiming that the crown prince and Yuanji were jealous of the Prince of Qin's great achievements and plotted to usurp the throne. Fortunately, the Prince of Qin discovered the plot in time, led his troops to protect the emperor, and quelled the rebellion.

The Crown Prince and the Prince of Qi are now deposed; the rest will not be investigated.
The King of Qin was appointed as the Crown Prince.

The Emperor decreed to all civil and military officials, "From this day forward, all military and state affairs shall be decided by the Crown Prince; I will no longer concern myself with them!"

What happened yesterday?

Most of the officials were actually well aware of the situation.
The victor is king.
Who would stand up and say anything? Besides, the King of Qin was not only the victor, but also a highly respected and accomplished prince. Who would object to such a prestigious prince taking that step and succeeding?
Whether it's calling a deer a horse or distorting the truth, it doesn't matter.
The entire court of civil and military officials collectively acquiesced to this outcome.

On June 8th, the formal ceremony for Li Shimin to be appointed Crown Prince will be held.

The sixth imperial edict was presented.
The imperial court officially established twenty-eight ranks of honorary officials, with the highest being the Grand Master of the Palace (first rank), the second rank being the Grand Master of the Palace (second rank), the third rank being the Grand Master of the Palace (third rank), and the lowest being the Junior Officer (ninth rank).

"Li Yi, Prince of Dai, was granted the title of Grand Master of the Three Departments; Pei Ji, Minister of Works, was granted the title of Special Advisor; Li Yi, Prince of Yan, was granted the title of Special Advisor; and Li Xiaogong, Prince of Zhao, was granted the title of Special Advisor."

Fang Xuanling was granted the title of Grand Master of the Palace (Golden Purple Light), Du Ruhui was granted the title of Grand Master of the Palace (Golden Purple Light), Changsun Wuji was granted the title of Grand Master of the Palace (Golden Purple Light), Gao Shilian was granted the title of Grand Master of the Palace (Golden Purple Light), Wei Zheng was granted the title of Grand Master of the Palace (Silver Blue Light)...

Li Shimin sat high on the imperial throne.
His gaze swept over the assembled ministers in the hall.
In the end, it fell on Pei Ji's shoulders.

Pei Ji seemed to sense something and looked up, their eyes meeting.

After the interpreter finished reading the imperial edict...
Pei Ji stood up.

"When I first raised an army in Taiyuan, I made a promise with Your Majesty that after the country was pacified, I would be allowed to resign and return to my hometown."

Now that the world is at peace, I beg Your Majesty to grant me permission to retire!

(End of this chapter)